Connect. Empower. Thrive.
At the heart of Growth Space Co is a simple intention:
to help you Connect with clarity, Empower your inner resilience, and Thrive in a nurturing environment.
Laura Luca
Founder
Laura is the proud founder of Growth Space Co, a social worker, clinical supervisor, and devoted dog lover. Over her 18 years in practice, she’s found her career sweet spot where her love for social work meets her passion for education and community. Her experience spans leading large community development projects, managing neighbourhood houses in Melbourne’s West, offering counselling and case management grounded in strengths-based, client-centred practice, and overseeing a large placement department in collaboration with universities across Australia.
Today, Laura feels lucky to mentor and support hundreds of counselling and social work students as they discover their purpose and begin their professional journeys. Building community and connecting with nature have always been central to who she is, she finds joy outdoors, loves to read, write, create, and laugh as often as she can.
Guided throughout her life by inspiring mentors, counsellors, and supportive groups, Laura deeply believes in the power of community. She knows that with the right environment, wellness and thriving can truly take root. With social isolation and loneliness on the rise, she founded Growth Space Co from the heart, a warm, welcoming community where student counsellors can connect meaningfully with their clients and with each other, and rediscover how simple, empowering, and joyful personal growth can be.
“Sometimes we see what’s missing, and instead of waiting, we create the space to grow it.”
Sophie Rak
Lead Group Supervisor
Sophie is a clinical supervisor and trauma therapist, passionate about leading with the body and dropping into presence and authenticity. Her social work roots underpin her work and create a foundation based in community-minded, feminist, intersectional practice. Supervision with Sophie is flavoured by her passion for self awareness, embodiment and relational, process-oriented practice. With 25 years of clinical experience, spanning many sectors including community, mental health, hospital, specialist trauma services and tertiary education, Sophie brings a keen curiosity, unwavering respect and unconditional positive regard to her practice with supervisees and clients, her consulting work in this field, and her relationships with colleagues.
Sophie has participated in and facilitated extensive individual and group supervision and reflective practice throughout her career. She is deeply committed to walking beside students as they trust and follow their own wisdom, body, and professional/life experience to access what they truly need in this work. Her style is straightforward, ‘call it like I see it’, intuitive, allowing space for your own timing, focusing on safety and gently challenging when required. Sophie is super excited to bring all this and more to Growth Space Co., as she believes a foundation in excellent supervision sets students up for a long and healthy career as inspired, connected, empowered clinicians.
She is the parent of a wild-spirited 12 year-old and loves dancing, kundalini yoga, astrology and presenting her own radio show.
Ashley Ogilvie
Student Support
Ashley is a Scottish-born integrative, person-centred psychotherapist who values authenticity and human connection above all else. For the past five years she has worked in private practice through AO Therapy, supporting individuals, couples, families, and many neurodivergent clients through a trauma-informed and neuro-affirming lens. She also works in school settings with her therapy dog, Bowie, whose gentle presence brings grounding and comfort to students.
Influenced by Yalom, Jung, and Carl Rogers, Ashley meets clients with empathy, curiosity, and unconditional positive regard. She finds joy in creativity, nature, music, and the small moments of connection that make therapeutic work meaningful. She is honoured to join Growth Space Co. and deeply respects Laura’s vision of community, generosity, and high-quality learning—offering students steady guidance, lived experience, and a commitment to nurturing the next generation of counsellors.
OUR STUDENT COUNSELLOR'S
Candice Jiang
Masters Student Counsellor
Candice (she/her) offers a relational, reflective, and holistic counselling style, creating a calm, non‑judgemental space where clients feel genuinely heard. She supports people navigating anxiety, perfectionism, life and career transitions, relationship challenges, and periods of change.
Jana Ryan
Masters Student Counsellor
Jana (she/her) is a student counsellor who brings maturity, life experience, and genuine care to her work. She supports people who feel anxious, low mood, stretched thin, or at a turning point in their lives.
Her approach is practical and collaborative, and grounded in real conversation.
Samantha Wong
Masters Student Counsellor
Samantha (she/her) offers a warm, genuine, client‑centred approach grounded in inclusiveness, empathy, and cultural humility. She creates an affirming space where people of all identities feel seen and supported. She works with anxiety, perfectionism, transitions, relationships, grief and loss, identity, sexuality and personal growth
Melissa Martins
Masters Student Counsellor
Melissa (she/her) is an emerging counsellor who values building genuine and trusting therapeutic relationships. She has a deep interest in identity, relationships, and life transitions, and supports people navigating isolation, change, or feeling disconnected.
Samar Ishak
Masters Student Counsellor
Grounded in clinical training and guided by cultural awareness, Samar (she/her) is dedicated to ethical, person-centred care. She creates a supportive space through deep listening, empathy, and thoughtful assessment. Passionate about culturally responsive practice, Samar meets each client where they are.
